Mac & Shews

Serves 8
Time: 1 hour || Active time: 30 minutes

I don’t think vegans ever get sick of Mac & Cheese, or, “Cheeze” or whatever. One of the first recipes I ever tried was from one of my all time favorites, the New Farm Cookbook. It was great for me back then because I always had a ton of people over, and you could make it for a crowd at the drop of a hat. So if you were all sitting around watching Evil Dead 2 on repeat, it was only a matter of time before a magical pot of Mac & Cheese would appear and swallow your soul.

That recipe is still the prototype for many a vegan Mac & Cheese recipe: lots of nooch, garlic, onions and, wait, what’s that? Half a cup of margarine?! This was the 80s and so it wasn’t even non-hydrogenated margarine. It was the real deal – a bright yellow log of pure processed fat. Today we have less ungodly ingredients to work with, but still, I can’t shake the feeling that when I eat those types of Mac & Cheese, I’m eating melted margarine.

So I’ve been toying with different ingredients for the past few years and I’ll probably continue to mess around with it. It’s all about developing flavor and creaminess with ingredients that are still really accessible and really delicious, but also way less processed, and, well really real.

To keep things from being one note, I wanted to build flavor with a few simple methods and ingredients. Like all great Mac & Cheese recipes, this one begins with a roux. Flour is cooked in olive oil, lending a toasty flavor and giving the finished sauce extra body and creaminess. If you’ve never made a roux before then this will be a great skill to add to your repertoire! And speaking of creaminess, cashews are given their standard vegan treatment: a long soak in water and then a horrifying (for them) trip in the food processor, to be pureed until they’re silky smooth.

So I’ve been playing with various ratios and ingredients, and it always comes out good and creamy, but I wanted something different, tangier, more interesting. Cheese is aged, giving it flavor and nuance. There’s always mustard (an ingredient even in the New Farm recipe), miso, lemon…but I hit upon an ingredient that really gave me the depth I was looking for…sauerkraut! Since the average home cook (myself included) isn’t really set up for aging stuff, I wanted something that’s already fermented, and sauerkraut really works.

This mac is my favorite yet! (But that still doesn’t stop me from adding some Frank’s Red Hot.) And of course I don’t totally break with tradition, I used a little turmeric and a touch of nutritional yeast for that telltale yellow that tells you you’re eating “cheeze” not “cheese.”

Recipe notes:~You really need to blend the beejeezus out of the cashews and sauerkraut. Although it won’t be completely creamy until after it’s cooked, it should still be relatively smooth, with absolutely no chunks, when it comes out of the food processor. I think a Vitamix type thing would work here, too, but I don’t have one myself.

~Make sure that the roux is cooked and toasty before streaming in the veggie broth. It really makes a difference in the final flavor, so get your roux a really beautiful gravy color.

~You can use any smallish pasta. I love to use chiocciole because it can hold plenty of sauce, and I just find the shape pleasing. Small shells or traditional macaroni are both great choices, too.

~To soak cashews, just place them in a bowl and submerge with water. Soak for at least an hour, preferably two, or up to overnight.

~And lastly, the type of veggie broth you use makes a huge difference. If I use my own homemade broth, I make sure it’s super assertive. If you use the type of broth that comes from a powder or concentrate, that is totally cool, just make it a bit stronger than you usually do.

First boil salted water for the pasta. Cook pasta and drain. In the meantime, prepare the rest of the recipe.

Place the soaked cashews and 2 cups of the vegetable broth in a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping the sides of the food processor with a spatula occasionally to make sure you get everything. This could take 5 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat a large pan (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Saute the onions and garlic and a pinch of salt in a tablespoon of the oil, until onions are softened.

Drain the sauerkraut in a sieve, pushing it into the sieve to remove as much moisture as possible. Add to the pan just to heat through, a minute or two.

Transfer sauerkraut mixture to the food processor with the cashew mixture. Once again, puree until relatively smooth. There will be some texture, just make sure it’s not chunky.

Wipe out the pan that you sauteed the onions in and preheat it over medium heat once again. Add 3 tablespoons of oil, along with the flour. It should become a gooey clump. You’re now making a roux! Add a little bit more olive oil if necessary. Toast the roux for about 15 minutes, until it smells toasty and turns a medium brown. Stir practically the whole time so that it cooks evenly.

Now stream in remaining 2 cups of broth, whisking constantly so that it doesn’t clump. Whisk until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes.

Stream in the cashew sauerkraut mixture, and whisk until well incorporated. Add the tumeric, black pepper, nutritional yeast if using, salt and fresh lemon juice. Heat through and stir occasionally, allowing the mixture to thicken.

Add the cooked pasta back to the pasta pot and pour in the sauce. Taste for salt and pepper. Mix to coat, then transfer to the casserole dish. Cover casserole with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot!

[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Elise Desaulniers, vegelogue. vegelogue said: Mac & Shews: Cashews, a roux and a secret ingredient or two make this a luscious, creamy and tangy mac that you … http://bit.ly/f6sC1J […]

Isa I agree with you the new farm cookbook is one of my favorites cookbooks,
along with all your books which I very much enjoy. The new farm’s recipe uses half a cup of oil
but one and a half cups of cashews in a pound of pasta scare me too!
Have you tried to make this recipe with just half a cup of cashews? Or do you think it would be good?
I really like your idea with cashews but maybe make it with a smaller cashews amount?

I’m not sure what scares you about 1 1/2 cups of cashews? They are a whole food with nutrients and minerals. This recipe serves 8 so it’s not even 1/4 cup of ‘shews per person. But of course you can try it with less.

Sauerkraut, what an awesome idea! I am totally trying this. I love that you don’t own a Vitamix…just love it. As I don’t either! Not that I don’t want to own one, but so many veggie gurus have one and proclaim it as a must. Thank you, Isa!

P.S. Just ordered Appetite for Reduction. Can’t wait until it arrives!

thanks Isa for your reply 🙂
I loooove cashews
I would be scared for 1.5 cups of cashews since
a pound of pasta for me would be a meal for 4 not 8…
it is an issue of portion control though ….
I will definitely try it; the sauercarut idea is great too 🙂

This is crazy pants. Last night I wanted Alfreda from VwaV and didn’t have pinenuts so I used cashews instead. It was delicious of course, so creamy and mild. I thought, this could be tweaked into mac somehow, I know it. And then the clouds parted, I signed on my laptop the next day, and there by the grace of nooch Isa shared this recipe. Sauerkraut is GENIUS, I cannot wait to try this.

I just made the mac & cheese from Happy Herbivore last night…had the leftovers for lunch and wishing I could have seconds. I love your idea of adding sauerkraut….just one more reason you’re the goddess of veganism. 🙂

This looks awesome! I’ve noticed melomeals posted a bunch of different cheezes on the Food Porn forum using sauerkraut. Looks like it’s gonna be the new hot thing for bringing that tangy quality to vegan cheese!

YUM! An anecdote for those of you who hate sauerkraut but are still willing to try:

I hated, I mean H-A-T-E-D tarragon before I tried the recipe Lotsa Veggies Lentil Soup in AfR. I hesitated when I saw the dreaded herb, but then reasoned, if anyone could change my mind about tarragon (ack, phooey) as an ingredient, it’s Isa! Well, needless to say: Best. Soup. Ever. In fact, the second time I made it, I ran out of zucchini so I substituted chopped fennel root to highlight the anise-y flavor of the tarragon! Thank you, Isa, for expanding my flavor horizons. :o)

I almost skipped this post in my news feed because I’ve got a bunch of vegan mac ‘n’ cheese recipes in my collection. This could be the only one I need, though. I’m glad to find a vegan mac and cheese that doesn’t rely on nutritional yeast. I rarely like nutritional yeast and don’t agree that it tastes like “cheese”, no matter how many vegan books try to convince me that it does. (Different taste buds, perhaps.) I do, however, have a vegan alfredo recipe that’s cashew based. I’m intrigued by the sauerkraut idea.

I’ll try this the next time I’m in the mood for a vegan mac ‘n’ cheese. Thanks for posting it.

Wow this looks AMAZING and I LOVE LOVE LOVE saurkraut which I usually just eat right out of the jar so it will be great to actually do something with it 🙂 Just got AfR as well so will get stuck into that this weekend as well.
Thanks for another amazing recipe 🙂

I made this last night since I have been jonesin for some good mac. I did not tell my family about any of the ingredients because they generally don’t like vegan mac and cheezy recipes. I am happy to say that everyone liked it! Not a single complaint. I’m the mom of 2 teenagers. A meal without a complaint is a small miracle. I think I could detect the kraut since I knew it was in there but no one else seemed to think about it in the least.

I stink at the pureeing of the cashews. Is there a trick to it? The smoothest I could get it still have tiny little niblets of cashew. Everything else seemed to go well and according to the recipe, but my pan definitely is not the same consistency/texture as the picture. Any tips for how I can get a smoother consistency on the cashews? The flavor was delicious. My 4 year old who refuses to eat pretty much anything I give to him asked for more, so that was a positive sign!!

@kelsey: good call on the truffle oil and smoked paprika. nice way to tweek something good into something gooder. my husband and i love “Bubbie’s” sauerkraut. it doesn’t have vinegar, however. might have to add a splash to the sauce to give it the true sauerkraut zip.

This looks amazing! Thanks for sharing! I’m so excited to try it tonight.
And depending on how the sauce turns out I’m hoping to tweak it in the future to make vegan scalloped potatoes – my other seriously missed cheesy comfort food.
Thanks Isa! You rock!

Well, my current fave veg M&C involves combining soy sauce, soy milk, noosh, mustard and well, it seems like a bad idea until you taste it all blended together! So based on that and previous experience with the awesomeness that is the PPK and Ms. Chandra, I’m gonna take a deep breath and try this. Today. Saurkraut. Would never have thought of it. xD
Thanks so much for sharing this! I’m a little nervous, but I can’t wait to try it. (Aw just realized I can’t make it immediately because of cashew soaking. Tomorrow then! I have a potluck tomorrow anyway.)

That was sooooo good! My hubby hates sauerkraut but loved this! And so does my two-year-old. Now she won’t be nagging me for grandmothers mac&(real)cheese anymore! though next time I’m thinking of addingsome vegetables. I’m thinking steamed broccoli would go nice with it… can’t wait till next saturday.. maybe i’ll make that mac and shews night!
Thanks again.

Yes, steamed broccoli is an awesome addition. I like to steam really lightly and it the broc in a layer inside the casserole. So add half the pasta, then the broc then the rest of the pasta on top and bake as usual.

This is really interesting. I’ll admit, I was really disappointed when I tasted the sauce before baking; I’d put so much faith in the crazy sauerkraut idea. But now that I have it in front of me, with every bite I’m more and more excited. It’s not perfect, I don’t think (though I didn’t toast the roux very long and forgot to soak the cashews), but I’m having a flashback to a hazy memory at an Italian restaurant. This is good. I’ll be trying it again. Maybe with more nooch? Some roasted garlic?

Unfortunately during preparation, my 25 y/o Regal La Machine (which is not made any more – and I know why) had a tantrum and lost a fair amount of the creme through various crevices. No matter, threw it into my $40 crappy HB blender, added some macadamia nuts I had leftover to fill in and it was all good. (Vitamix & Cuisinart FP on wish list for b’day).

I *love* that this has no Earth Balance in it. What’s the function of the sauerkraut? I didn’t taste it in there, but was thrilled with how it came out. Husband liked it better than my normal go to mac & cheese. Thanks again for another kick-ass recipe.

Tried it last night and loved, loved it! So creamy and yummy. The addition of saurkraut was truly inspired as it gives it the tangy, cheezy taste and added fiber and antioxidants. I think if I didn’t know I would not think that there was kraut in the casserole. Thanks Isa!!

Okay, so I made this last night. Isa, you rule. I mean, damn. Holy hell this was so good my boyfriend and I each had thirds. Yowza. We had steamed broccoli and hot sauce with ours, too. Yummy. I think the sauerkraut is the ingredient vegan mac and cheese has been missing all its life.

I made it, everyone said it was good (I did take it to the potluck, the omni potluck!). But… It just wasn’t right. Then I added some Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. I really think that completes it, at least for me. Next time you make it set aside a bite or two and try it with a little liquid aminos. Other than that little tweak (well and some curry powder, but that’s just how I make everything) it was really great!

This is the most incredible mac and cheese I have ever eaten in my life, vegan or pre-vegan. My sauerkraut-phobic hubby ate like three quarters of a casserole dish of this stuff of his day off while I was at work. Hat’s off, Isa! You’ve done it again! 🙂

aw, snap! The rumors are true: this is amazing. I don’t think sauerkraut haters will detect the kraut-ness (in response to some of the above comments.) I too was a Farm Cookbook loyalist and was making their full-fat recipe for many years before discovering some lower fat versions.

We’re holding the inaugural Baltimore Vegan Supper Club at mi casa in March. It’s going to be soul food themed, and this is definitely going to be on the menu.

This sounds amazing, I can’t wait to try it! I’m a sauerkraut lover, so this sounds right up my alley. Your comment about the broth was interesting, as I’ve been making some of my own lately, but find it hard to gauge how flavorful or assertive it is. Any tips on that or would you care to share your broth recipe?

Decided to try the vegan challenge for one week. This recipe was my first try at vegan cooking and WOW! I would devour this even if I wasn’t trying to go vegan. I didn’t use all the sauce, it was a little much. I also topped with vegan bread crumbs which gave it a nice little crunch. I will definitely be making this one again. Mmmmm

[…] Sounds vile, doesn’t it? I might not use the F word so much. I will be making some this very evening – really as a by product of the evening meal I’ll be cooking. I’ll be using cashews and sauerkraut, which I know sounds like a pretty unusual combination of ingredients, but they are going towards what sounds like amazing comfort food. […]

This was a badass recipe…SO GOOD. I just made it today; added a little Smoked Hungarian Paprika (actually like 1 TBSP) and a couple drops of liquid smoke and it was killer. Very similar to mac ‘n cheese made with gouda…nice and smoky.

I was so excited to make this… and then disasters struck. Yes, multiple kitchen catastrophes occurred while making this. Of course, they were all operator-error and had nothing to do with the recipe.

The upside is that this turned out so well! I have never like mac and cheese or mac and “cheese” but I could not get enough of this. Totally worth the major clean-up (nobody wreaks havoc in a kitchen quite like me!).

Oh my god. The mac ‘n’ shews are in the oven now (with a layer of broccoli), and OH MY GOD. We had to save a few bites of mac and sauce to eat while it’s cooking because otherwise it never would have made it into the oven. Thank you for once again revolutionizing vegan cooking.

Had this tonight along with some Buffalo ‘fu (used the marinade from A. F. R.) and steamed broccoli. You can’t really taste that it’s sauerkraut at all. It’s super yummy! Very reminiscent of the baked mac’n’cheese I used to make with lots of “real” sharp cheddar way back when. We loved it! We have tons (and tons, and TONS) of leftovers. The 8-person serving size is very generous, especially if you serve it as a side dish. We’ll be taking leftovers to school (hubby and I are both in college full-time) at least twice this week, and I’ll be able to put a couple of servings in the freezer as well. I will definitely make this again. Might add more nooch (we really love the nooch in this house) and maybe even a little more kraut.

I’ve never really liked Mac & Cheeze (not a huge nooch fan), but this recipe is awesome! My spouse (vegetarian), my mother-in-law (cheese allergy), and some omnis all ate and enjoyed it. They said it didn’t taste like cheese but was really yummy (to me, it tasted a LOT like cheese).

Just made this today! In fact, it is still hot out of the oven, but it didn’t stop me from burning my mouth to try it. It’s good. Really really really good. It’s a lot of work, but worth it since it makes a ton. I only did a half recipe for fear that I might sit and eat a whole pan in one sitting.

Oops, I added the tumeric to the directions. Add it once you add everything to the roux. I try to time the pasta to be ready pretty close to when the sauce is, that way it doesn’t stick together. But rinsing it under cold water briefly helps it not to stick together.

How kind and generous of you to share this recipe. I am really trying to limit my fats; I think vegans are coming to realize that even vegan diets with too much fat are just not healthy. I don’t eat a no-fat diet like McDougall, etc., but I do limit the amount of fat I eat – not avoid it totally.

Thank you for your book and your generosity in sharing these scrumptious recipes. you rock!

sauerkraut!? I’m so intrigued!! I make a “fancy mex” version without the kraut – I saute red peppers and black beans with my “cheese” sauce and add a pinch of chipotle pepper… I can’t wait to try this version!

Wow!!! This really worked. I LOVE MY VITAMIX!! With that dandy machine making this is effortless and fast, less than a minute to blend the cashews and kraut. We had to omit the yeast due to a guest’s allergy. We found that a dollop of Dijon mustard helped make up for that. So next time we’ll add some Dijon to the mix.
One interesting thing is that the dish smells a lot more like pickles than it tastes. In the oven and on the table I was afraid that the kraut taste would overpower. But it didn’t. This recipe makes a whole lot so we’re saving to reheat for tomorrow when the weather will once again be cold and rainy. Thanks for the recipe, my yeast allergic guest was thrilled!!

I made this and it was awesome. I am set up for home fermentation, so I used our homemade kimchi instead of saurkraut. I also added a head of raw, chopped broccoli and 8 oz. of sauteed white mushrooms. I used only 1 cup of cashews in the interest of reducing fat. (Mushrooms were cooked in 1/4 tsp of oil and 2 tbsp white wine before adding).

This tastes wonderful. I put some on noodles, some on stir-fry veggies and potatoes, today I’m going to coat some pretzels with the sauce and dry them. (Noodles are the best, but most decadent.) Most cheeze recipes have way too much yeast in them for me. This was just right. The VitaMix made it very smooth. When the roux lumped, I just added it to the VitaMix and velvety smooth again.

This was fantastic! I made it for a potluck and decided to call it “Pasta in a a cashew sauce” so that nobody would go “Well, this tastes nothing like mac and cheese!” and everybody loved it. To me it tasted cheesy, but nobody else (all non-vegans) compared it to mac and cheese. Not that it mattered. All I know is that it is all gone.

[…] new recipe at one of my favorite food porn blogs, the Post Punk Kitchen. Matt slaved away over this amazing recipe last night while I worked on a super secret new project (to be revealed probably tomorrow) and it is […]

I have it in the oven right now! I thought I hated sauerkraut and almost rejected this recipe because of that hate, but then I realized I haven’t tried it since I was a kid. I likey! I likey! So excited to eat this!

Came our really tasty, but it seemed like there was too much broth -I think my mix got more liquidy than you described. plus it ended up making lots more sauce than I needed. I swear I used just 4 cups! only thing I did different was used cashew pieces instead of whole. I’ll try making it again.

Holy Guacamole! (We served this with a spicy avocado mash)…….This recipe blew our shews off.
We were initially resistant to the idea of kraut, but found a fabulous simple, local make at the corner store and the consistency of the end product cheez was f**kin awesome! Thanks Isa, you rock girl.

I love kraut, so can’t wait to make this. Some nice additions/renditions from fans above as well. Any recommendations on the kind or brand of kraut? Jar? Bag in refrigerated section? I love kraut so no matter, just curious. Also, in other recipes, I drain and rinse the kraut and then cook it with wine or broth (to replace the liquid) and thyme, onion, etc. would that work nicely here? Love your recipes, Dawn

Really tasty! I was curious about vegan Mac and Cheese and now I have made it. I cooked it in the pot a bit longer and have been using it as a topping sauce vs. in a casserole. Rather expensive and time consuming to prepare so I might prefer Pasta Primavera which is quicker and less expensive and still vegan healty. Thank You!

Holy crow!! This was the best vegan mac I’ve even made/enjoyed. It destroys Daiya mac-n-cheese that was loaded with just fat and salt. This had incredible flavor, was so hearty, and once we replaced the noodles with quinoa/corn noodles it was able to be eaten by everyone in the house…2 plates in a row. Thank you, thank you, a million times over, you are a Goddess of the kitchen.

This. was. amazing! Only downside was telling the omnivorous BF who loathes sauerkraut what the secret ingredient was… tried it, like a champ, but passed on second helpings. Also – Added extra onion, turmeric, and some smoked paprika…topped off with a lil sriracha…mmmmm:)

My (cheese-eater) boyfriend and I made this tonight and it was amazing! I’m so glad it makes a ton because I would happily eat it for days. My sister practically went into shock when she tried it and says there could never be a better mac n cheeze. I agree. We all think you are a food genius, Isa! You are our hero!

This was really excellent. I couldn’t stop eating the leftover cashew-and-sauerkraut dregs from the blender. It baked up delicious and was a hit at an omni potluck. I think I’m going to put in a little more sauerkraut next time, and add some veggies.

I made this last night for my omni boyfriend. I told him I would melt a little real cheese on top if he thought it needed it (I’m an enabler like that), but he totally loved it. I did too, as I ate 2 huge bowls of it. Good recipe. The only problem is that there is no mention on what to do with the onion/garlic mixture. I just mixed mine in with the sauce and that turned out great.

I just ate this….this is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever had, and it destroys all other vegan Mac & Cheese recipes! I never like vegan “cheese” dishes, but you have made me a believer! Outrageously delicious and very creative! You really are a genius. 🙂

OK: this is good. REALLY REALLY GOOD. I can never leave a recipe alone, so I added about 1/2 tsp dry mustard, several dashes of cayenne and white pepper (I like spice!) into the sauce. I adore Nutritional Yeast so put even a little more. Also: thinly slice some tomatoes on top, and sprinkle w/a little smoked paprika to finish (all before baking).
Filling, satisfying, tangy, yummy. Great w/broccoli or sauteed greens (spinach, chard, kale).
I have a large Cuisinart food processor and I just let the damn thing run and run to get the cashews pureed in the broth. Always get some “leakage” but no biggie to clean up. I had another brand of food processor in the past: nowhere near as good. The Cuisinart is worth the $$. Someday maybe Santa will bring me a Vitamix.

Am I the only one in the vegan world who wasn’t wild about this? I was only going to make 1/2 but then I thought, “nah it’s isa, I trust her + this looks really cool.” 1 thing that didn’t work was the cashew consistency. It wouldn’t been much better had I ground them up before adding the broth. Maybe even adding the broth a bit at a time, but 1/2 the broth at once did not bring my cashews to the right texture 🙁 and it never got that interesting aged taste I was hoping for. It just tasted like cashews and sauerkraut and lemon juice 🙁 it’s a little better the next day, but from now on I think I’ll stick to the way I do cheesy sauce.

+ I would’ve used EB instead of olive oil. I know we’re looking for healthy fats here, but cheezy sauces are supposed to be fatty. Could you imagine the calorie count if we were in the omni sauce biz??

This is soooooo good! My husband is a freak and wouldn’t even try it so I ate the whole pan in 3 days. YUM!!!
I usually hate most vegan cheezes, the processed packaged stuff never quite lives up to what I remember cheese tasting like. This doesn’t taste exactly like cheese either, but better. Sooo soo so much better.

Whoa you know it’s good when there are 156 comments! I loved it fresh out the oven with some hot sauce, two days later reheated with breadcrumbs, broccoli, and carmelized onions, and I still have some left so maybe tonight with tempeh bacon and sauted kale. Thanks for yet another awesome recipe, Isa!

This recipe is the bomb! I’ve made it 3 times and all 3 times my non-vegan husband has scarfed up every last crumb. I’m going to try it tonight with some sauteed friarielli (rapini or broccoli rabe) and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Thanks, Isa!

Hey thank you so much for an amazing recipe! I just made it and put it into the oven, (this 20 minutes is killing me!!) the sauce is to die for and the sauerkraut well that ‘s just pure genius!!! I left out the roux sauce only because I’ve never liked a white sauce (yours does sound good though). Will definitely be getting your books.

Um, one problem – my children are now obsessed with this and want to eat it every day. On the plus side, a recipe feeds us for three days, so that’s handy.
@Mark – I use hing powder instead of garlic + onion. Check your local Indian grocery, or you can get it online. Make sure you read up on how to use it.
And one note – this sets up really nicely if you want to fry slices of it the next day. Or, um, so I’ve heard.

Ahem, I am soaking the cashews now and going to the store for the kraut, finally! SO excited to make this. Thinking of adding broccoli, some sauteed swiss chard that I have leftover and throwing in some chickpeas (also leftover). I love me some goodies in my mac & cheese :-). CAN’T WAIT.

Made this today for my boyfriend, had no intention of eating it, myself, as I’ve been eating raw for a month and intend to stay that way, but how to cook without tasting, and how to taste this without eating WAY too much?? Best vegan mac and cheese experience yet. I’m so glad you had the idea to throw saurkraut in the mix! Perfect! Next time I’ll try with add-ins, spinach, etc.

Best mac & cheese ever! Made this yesterday for a vegan potluck & it was a hit :). I made sure to put this recipe page address on ingredient card, so hopefully this dish will spread like wdfire, converting cheese-loving omnivores everywhere! ;P. On a scale of 1 to 10, this dish is an 11!

Cashews really are the business. They can be used for so many things, especially in raw cooking. I made a great Brandy Cashew Cream to go with my mince pies last Christmas. I love the sauerkraut idea. Something I NEVER would have tried if you hadn’t mentioned it.

Does anyone else’s food processor leak when putting in so much liquid (the cashews + two cups of broth)? Mine always leaks all over the place. It is a really good one, too (Cuisinart Pro Classic). I might try the blender next time but I don’t have a VitaMix, so went with the processor. Thoughts?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to stop (it slows down a little, though) and I am always prepared with towels because I know it does it. As long as that is normal and won’t like leak into the motor or something, I’m cool. My processor is seven years old and has always leaked with liquid based recipes. Anyhoo, the Mac & Shews recipe is FANTASTIC, and I definitely want to make it again. I always worried about the processor leaking but never asked anyone, so I really appreciate your help with my appliance issues :-).

I really, really wanted to like this recipe. I used less sauerkraut (I do like sauerkraut) and just could not get past the sauerkraut smell before eating. Like I said, I wanted to like it and kept trying a spoonfull throughout the day, but this was a miss for me. I’m glad other people like it, but just not for me.

Note about the food processor: Yes, it will leak! I too did not look at the “max liquid” line. After sopping up my mess, I re-started with a small amount of broth and added slowly as the mixture became less liquid-like.

I was really excited to make this since I cannot stand fake cheese but I LOVE mac and cheese. I was VERY impressed with how this turned out! I am a fan of Sauerkraut already so no issues there, although I have to say in the finished dish I could not taste it (but I’m sure if I hated Sauerkraut I would have picked it out right away, that’s usually how it goes).

I substituted gluten-free pasta and chick pea flour to make the recipe Gluten Free Friendly! I also added a topping of crushed gluten-free pretzels mixed with some herbs (basically italian seasoned breadcrumbs) for some crunchy crust on top.

This recipe is DELICIOUS! I’ve made it for many of my vegan and non vegan friends and everyone loves it. I want to try to use the cashew cream sauce to make stuffed pasta shells then pour marinara over it.

I am so excited to try this recipe tonight. I have tried a variety of Vegan Mac n Cheese and need the perfect one for my upcoming wedding in June, which will be featuring so many of your recipes. I have a feeling the genius addition of sauerkraut is going to be the missing link. I seriously don’t want to wait a few hours for these cashews to soak. I’ll be patient though.

For those who are allergic to cashews, try substituting macadamia nuts instead. I use them in my pesto recipe and they add a nice creaminess. You may not even have to soak them, but you’ll have to experiment with that. I also use a vita mix, that could possibly make a difference in texture, it does when making pesto. Hope this helps.

Hi Folks, Any thoughts on the best way to make this ahead of time? Is it best to make it, bake it, fridge it and then re-heat it in the oven the next night? Or make the sauce and noodles ahead, keeping them separate until ready to bake? Thanks!

Made this last nigh. It is AWESOME! I brought some to work for lunch, I am so enjoying it! Thanks again for a homerun! The Family all love it too………….the sauerkraut is nothing short of GENIUS! you are so my hero!!

I just made this for my mom and step-dad who have recently switched to a whole-food-plant-based diet and have been missing cheesey comfort food. This was AMAZING!!! I wasn’t really expecting much having avoided any kind of “fake cheese” things myself. Loved it, and will totally be making this again! I added dried onion to it, just a little, but I don’t think that made much of a difference 😛
I also made your cornbread with it, using almond milk instead of soy (personal preference)

This was…CRAZYDELISH! I made half a recipe suspecting that, being home alone, I might be tempted to mow down on the lot of it and…I was right! So good! So tough to pry myself away from that pan and save some leftovers! Thankyouthankyou!

I love that it achieved all that I was craving (a creamy baked pasta dish) without any processed ingredients. Winwinwin (and major thanks)!

Macadamias are a bit sweeter and for some reason, although they are just as creamy, they don’t thicken up like cashews. Why are cashews so magical? That said, if it’s an allergy situation or you’re just hell-bent on experimenting, please try it and report back!

[…] fake cheese to create mac n cheese, Isa Chandra uses cashews, turmeric, and sauerkraut to create a “cheezy” topping for macaroni. Her recipes are smart and creative and they have definitely opened my eyes as to how flavorful, […]

I was nervous – this was my first vegan mac-n-cheese…but we added the bread-crumb topping and the hot sauce – we never missed the cheese. I like rasrasras’ suggestion to add spinach but I think I’m going to be naughty next time and do a crumbled-potato-chip-topping with peas mixed into the pasta. Potato chips are still a form of veggies LOL! In all seriousness, many thanks – we’re not vegans but we are really working hard on reducing our saturated & trans fat intakes. xoxo

When I want tang in my “cheez” I add a pinch (well, more like 1/4 tsp) of cream of tartar. Yum. I’m skeptical about the sauerkraut but am willing to give it a try…just not thrilled about the idea of having leftover sauerkraut. Any chance I can use vegan kimchi? Oh how I love the vegan kimchi.

This is totally our new fave. When we first moved into our new home, this was the meal that I christened our kitchen with. It makes a house a home. 🙂

Last night, I played with the cheese sauce recipe, cut the pasta, and added half a bottle of white wine, shallots, rosemary, dijon mustard, and some daiya for some kickass vegan fondue. My husband said he no longer pines for the melting pot, now. 🙂

This was so freaking good it made no sense. i was a bit nervous at first (I got some directions reversed) but it was great! Can I say that I’m gonna use the cashew/sauerkraut/veggie broth mixture in sandwiches and all else? It was so good!

OH MY SEITAN! I just ate this recipe for the third meal in a roux and still am lovin it. This recipe combines all of my favorite things but doesnt taste like any of them! I had been meaning to try out this recipe for literally months but every time I bought all the ingredients i would keep eating the ingredients separately before i had a chance to make it ! (yes, i eat fresh sauerkraut straight, dont judge.) Thnxxxx!

Oh man was this stuff good! I was concerned I wouldn’t like this because of the sauerkraut , not a big fan of it alone, but I was so wrong, the result of all the flavors together was so tangy and creamy, it was absolutely the best vegan Mac and “cheese” I have tried to date! Thanks Isa for continuously serving up awesome new recipes!

People always ask this, and I suppose you could, but I think there is something a little yucky about the soaking liquid once it’s done. I like to just start anew and I don’t see any reason why not. Is there a particular reason you want to soak them in the veg broth instead of draining the soaking water?

ISA, thanks for replying! No reason in particular to soaking them in broth, I just thought I could soak them in my Vita mix blender and then turn it on when they were soaked without draining. No biggie though to soak in water first.
Anyhow, I made this last night. My family are not vegans although we are trying to eat much healthier and maybe someday I will be vegan. But for now I am experimenting with it all. I make a very good mac and cheese so I wanted to test this on my family(husband and 2 teenage sons) they are brutally honest! They all really liked it! 1. they do not like sauerkraut, they didn’t even know it wad there. 2. They thought it was nice and creamy, but not cheesy. They were fine with that because it tasted good. 3. The sauce was tangy when made but lost the tanginess when baked with the whole wheat noodles, so I served it with Frank’s Red hot sauce. I had added mustard and smoked paprika to the recipe also. I think next time I might add more than the tablespoon of mustard that I originasly put in. Anyone not sure about the kraut, don’t sweat it, try it you’ll like it!

[…] about that site this evening as I've just eaten this for dinner and it was fantastic: http://www.theppk.com/2011/02/mac-shews/Got a better answer? Share it below! Amazon.com WidgetsRelated posts:Traditional Mexican […]

Made this last week and really enjoyed it, although it tasted nothing like mac and cheese to me. It actually reminded me of this delicious stuffing my aunt makes for Thanksgiving every year which has tons of onions, butter, and Italian sausage in it…. soo good, but soo not vegan! I think I may bring some Mac and Shews to next Thanksgiving so I won’t feel bummed about missing out on her stuffing like I have the past 3 years. Or sub the noodles w/ vegan cornbread stuffing, mmm. Thanks for the recipe!!

I made this tonight and loved it! I used chickpea flour and added mustard, smoked paprika and cayenne. I only made a small pasta bake and plan to use the rest of the sauce on fresh veges. So delicious… thanks for the recipe!

[…] 30 minutes to ensure they blend properly into the tofu. You can use any leftover cashews to make Mac & Shews. This entry was posted in recipe, veganomicon and tagged eggplant, recipe, vegan, yum. […]

Mmmmmm…… just perfect!!!!! I have been a Vegan for almost 10 years and have never had anything that satisfied the mac n cheese craving. This was simply profound! Also, I am so happy it didn’t included any creepy fake cheeses. Thank you so much it was a gift to my mouth, not to mention 5 close friends who applaud you.

Oh man, this is my absolute favorite sauce that I have ever made! (The first time I made it, I used a foor processor and it leaked everywhere, but after that I used a blender and that seemed to get it creamy enough).
I like to make just the sauce and use it for everything–putting on pasta, dipping bread, coating steamed veggies. My new favorite recipe by far. I find that every time you reheat it after being in the fridge, it gets milder, but no less delicious.
Thanks for this amazing recipe. Any idea if it can be considered low-fat? (I mean it’s certainly lower in fat than a stick of margarine, though)

My lady-friend I made this last night. It was a great success, but we made a few alterations that are worth mentioning. I had been thinking for a while about ways to make an ‘asian-infused’ mac and cheese [cheez]. We stuck with the basic recipe, but added a couple spoonfuls of miso paste to the vege stock, replaced the salt with soy sauce, and added about 2 tablespoons of ‘prickly ash’ chinese chilie sauce. We also fried up a couple of chinese eggplant (the long, purple kind) and about 10 oz. of shitake mushrooms, and stirred them in with the roux/cashew/kraut mixture.

The resulting mac was delicious! The miso, soy sauce, and shitakes gave it a nice, pungent, fermented quality, and the eggplant some interesting color. We ate it with Sri Racha sauce and IPA, very nice.

I have no idea why I waited so long to make this. It was wonderful. Served it with a side of bbque tofu and collard greens. Now I must take a nap….tired since I ate way too much of this. Will put this one in my monthly rotation of dinner. Thanks Isa!

i made this yesterday for some friends and just finished up the leftovers for breakfast. i was drawn by the idea of making a vegan mac n cheese with cashews and sauerkraut. this was SO GOOD and had my omnivorous friends hooked. i had several helpings of this myself. i used canned broth with half a cube of veggie bouillon added, and i also included a few generous dashes of cayenne pepper as the onions and garlic cooked. also, i omitted the turmeric as i don’t have it handy and couldn’t justify the expense. it wasn’t missed. otherwise, i followed the recipe precisely. i will definitely make this recipe again. this is a great potluck recipe. i’m afraid if i made it for myself i’d eat myself sick. thank you!

II pretended like I had enough time to make it when I started it. I soaked the cashews overnight on Monday night, made the mix with the cashews, broth and sauerkraut (I used mild KimChee) on Tuesday . I finished the whole thing on Thursday. One thing that is very important is that I ruined one batch of the cashews in the food processor because I used all 2 cups of broth. I tried again and only used about a cup to get it the right consistency. i didn’t add any other spices that would conflict with the KimChee. For instance I didn’t add any onion or garlic. i did add the nooch and only 1 cup broth at the end w/ the roux. I added breadcrumbs to the top which was fab! The consistency is wonderful. There is a slight metallic taste with the kimchee. I hope my fam likes it!

[…] and make dinner from things already in house. While that wasn’t much, it was enough to make this recipe! Mmmm, Mac and Shews. Though I made it with one cup of sauerkraut and whole wheat rotelli (which […]

I’ve been wanting to make this for two weeks now, ever since I first spotted the recipe. And today, I finally made it, and it is sooo satisfying, just as satisfying as real mac ‘n’ cheese. Definitely the best vegan version I have ever tasted and definitely a recipe I will repeat! So creamy and comforting! Thanks for thinking outside the box!

I am new to being vegan and I have missed my homemade mac and cheeese but this recipe is so much better and way more tasty. It has way more flavor than regular mac and cheese. I have never tried saurkraut before and was hesisant because I always thought it looked and tasted gross, however the end result was very good!!! Thank you for this recipe!

You are so unbelievably talented Isa!. I made this, tempeh orzilla and the chocolate pumpkin loaf cake in the last two days and
honestly I am speechless they are all so good. You really have a very special gift. Thank you for being a vegan! xo

THANK YOU FOR THIS AMAZING RECIPE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I make this all the time now, and have even adapted the sauce, (took out the sourkraut) and used it for “cream” of broccoli soup. THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love the idea of this recipe and have tried many from Veganomicron. I could scale the recipe down, though wondering if you have tried to freeze the sauce on its own . As delicious as it looks, I know it will go to waste if I make the entire recipe.

I made this last night. I told the family I was making something with sauerkraut and cashews, but wouldn’t reveal anything else. Suffice to say, skepticism as to the deliciousness of the forthcoming meal was high but undeserved! Plus, this stuff must be super low-calorie! Thanks for adding sauerkraut for my list of pantry must-haves!

I’m not a fan of sauerkraut, but this is amazing. The dish doesn’t taste like sauerkraut (for those of you with a distaste for it), but rather it adds tang to the sauce. I never knew cashews were so fantastical. =) Every time I bring this to work for lunch I get, “That smells good, what is that?” I used a very odd-shaped pasta (don’t remember the name), but the more twists and turns the pasta does, the more sauce it catches. This is glorious AND it freezes well. Double score.

Unfortunately, we forgot to pick up Sauerkraut at the store, so I made this without it and just added a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar. Still came out delicious and very Cheezy. I had the cheese sauce with made-from-scratch Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels, and it was so delicious, I couldn’t stop eating it and had the cheese with three pretzels for Lunch. ^_^

[…] For BLOGS/WEBSITES, I’m going with the vegan site, Post Punk Kitchen. There are a million reasons to call this site out (it’s great!) But I’m doing it right now because I have a serious, serious hankering at the moment for the Mac&’Shews. […]

Made this yesterday! It didn’t take as long as i thought it would. We loved it! I had a vitamix, so the sauce blended up really well. Although the kitchen smelled like sauerkraut, the sauce did not. I didn’t have turmeric on hand… but I think the next time I make it, I might skip the yeast, and use mustard for flav and turmeric for color. Also, I wasn’t sure how the top would look after baking, so I used my vitamix to chop up some Jewish Rye, toasted it, and then sprinkled on top. I thought rye and sauerkraut would go together. So yummy! I can imagine using the sauce recipe for a pasta primavera… maybe add a bit of wine.

[…] I wonder if the people interviewed in this article have ever had Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Mac and Shews. The genius of this recipe is that Isa uses sauerkraut to achieve the aged/fermented essence of […]

just made the sauce. used my blender wand thing and i got the smoothest creamiest savoriest sauce. so delish, isa! i was timid about the ‘kraut, so didn’t do all 2 cups and didn’t have tumeric (even though i swear we do somewhere in the kitchen) so I used smoked paprika and a tsp or 2 of dijon. also, used garbanzo flour. it turned out so good. don’t think i will bake my pasta. i don’t want to turn the oven on. it was a scorcher today. the house is hot. perhaps tomorrow.

Thanks for the recipe! I made this last night. I’m one of those people who usually eat a fourth of pound of pasta per serving, but here I finished a sixth and felt uncomfortably full afterward. (Not used to foods this dense!) It seemed like I had a ton of sauce — maybe I didn’t thicken it enough? but it seemed pretty thick — but that seemed to work out well, since I was hoping to be able to add a lot of broccoli into the mix. There was enough sauce for two heads of broccoli and a pound of gemelli.

I noticed that the sauce was a lot more powerful — tangy, pecorino-ish maybe — before I baked it than after. I think if I make this again (and what else am I going to do with all the leftover sauerkraut? Seriously, I’m asking!), I might not bother with the baking stage and just stir everything together on the stovetop and serve. The acidity will be stronger, but I think some extra nutritional yeast would counterbalance that and result in a very intense, savory, cheesy sauce. (Side benefit: if the sauerkraut is only warmed, not cooked, then I think it’ll retain a lot of its lactobacillus.)

Now I’m curious about blending some sauerkraut and nutritional yeast into Bryanna Clark Grogen’s béchamel for a lower-fat alternative… But I proceed at my own peril.

[…] I’ve found a few recipes on the Web, but none gets as close or is as easy as Isa Chandra’s Spaghetti-Nos with Mini Lentil Meatballs at PostPunkKitchen. I’ve been delighted with her recipes. Besides, her story is cute, tatoos notwithstanding – believe me, you’ll regret it one day – and the website design is wonderful. And, she has a real knack for giving her recipes clever names. (My favorite is Mac and Shews.) […]

[…] addthis_share = [];}I don’t want to detract from my girl’s efforts over at The PPK and her excellent rendition of the awesomely named “Mac and Shews” (she’s really good at that naming thing), but […]

This is the strangest recipe I’ve ever loved! I prepared it for a vegan family friend who needed some comfort food. I am a complete newbie to vegan cooking. I read the ingredients, very dubiously, then I read the comments – which are overwhelmingly complimentary – and I HAD to make it, if nothing else, to satisfy my curiosity. So very very good! And, I am so excited to learn to cook more of these recipes. We’ve been talking about reducing our meat and dairy intake at my house, but I was unsure about how to cook without using those foods. It’s awesome how you have created such fantastic flavor and texture by combining these crazy ingredients. I can’t wait to learn more! Thank you for this great recipe and this wonderful site.

[…] After this experience it was a good 2 years before I would even think about becoming vegan again. The turnaround came after I discovered the website ‘The Post Punk Kitchen’ and started cooking a lot of the vegan recipes from there but, I still thought I couldn’t live without cheese until I found this recipe on the site for vegan macaroni cheese. […]

I am planning to make this for a friend tomorrow! This may be a dumb question but I am a novice cook…do you think I could make everything beforehand, assemble and put it in the casserole, and the bake it later that day? Or would that mess up the roux and all by not baking it immediately? I have a busy day planned before dinner and thought it would be nice to prep in the morning and then just toss in the oven later. But since I am feeding someone besides myself, I would hate to create a disaster! I also love the idea of adding steamed broccoli that you mentioned in one of the comments. I was thinking about maybe also (or instead of) mixing in some fresh torn spinach leaves before baking. Any reason that would ruin everything? 🙂 I love adding veggies to my mac n cheese – esp. green ones. Thanks for the recipe; I am excited to try it!

AHHH I love this! It is so sinfully good. I avoided cashew cheeses for so long because cashews are so expensive! But now you got me hooked… it’s going to be really depressing when I have to be homeless because I bought so many pounds of cashews, but until that day comes, I am going to enjoy this to the fullest!

It reminds me so much of the high quality, homemade macaroni and cheese that my family makes. My mom won’t eat any vegan meats, cheeses (except Daiya which she loves for some reason), or anything, but she ate some of this because it smelled so good, and then she took like half of the pot! But that’s okay, because it gave me an excuse to make more.

I made this last weekend. It was amazing! i loved how cheesey it was. I altered it to make it gluten-free, and it worked out really well. I used certified gluten-free oat flour (I think any gluten-free flour would work) in place of the all purpose flour and I had to add about 1 tbsp of arrowroot powder so that it would thicken properly. I will make this again for sure. My omnivore boyfriend also thought it was amazing (as he does with all of your recipes I have tried so far). 🙂

My husband and I are newly vegan (about 9 weeks). I wasn’t expecting much from this macaroni and “cheez” but was intrigued by the sauerkraut so gave it a try. This was the first faux or vegan cheese sauce I’d tried. My husband and I LOVED this recipe so much we ate two bowls full! I’m thinking about organizing a vegan potluck, maybe once a month, and this will definitely be on the menu for the first night! Thank you Isa, your recipes have not disappointed us!

WOOF just ate some tonight for dinner. This dish is so satisfying and filling! It is a staple here and cashews were getting really expensive; so we made the switch to sunflower seeds(i also tried sunflower mac, it was good but i missed the tanginess from the sauerkraut in mac n’ shews). I was hesitant about subbing shews for sunflowers, but it came out just as good! It never really smoothed out and had a slight taste difference. It definitely hit the spot. And we kept it gluten free with brown rice pasta and buckwheat flour. The flour made it an odd color but it baked up really nice in the end!
Topped it off with a little daiya cheese(mozz and cheddar) and stuck it under the broiler. mmm aughh roll me to bed

I can not express how satisfying this dish is. I’ve been vegan since 1997 and have never had a better simulation of this filling classic. Delicious recipes like this keep me coming back to Post Punk Kitchen.

OK…. wow! totally freaked out by the sauerkraut… but I def see where it adds to the flavor profile…. wonderful! have to say, I was very impressed with this recipe. I put half in the pan, then laid down a bed of spinach, and eggplant bacon and put another layer of macaroni and sauce over it… topped it all with breadcrumbs……. yummy!

I’m a total cooking noob, and I wanted to share my experience with others who are similarly afflicted. So, as with all of the recipes of yours that I’ve tried, it was fabulously smooth sailing… up until the roux moment. I mixed, I stirred, it toasted up nicely as described, I was more chuffed than was appropriate about my victory. As I cockily whisked in the broth and then my cashew goop and spices, I started to smell something toxic and burny and acrid. “That must be what roux smells like, I’m just unaccustomed to such sophisticated aromas,” I thought hopefully. Yeah, no. The nylon spatula I was using to mix, scrape and stir the roux had, during that process, gradually melted in an accordion-like pattern, and the burned plastic fumes had permeated the whole pot of sauce. I completed the recipe in pursuit of a fantasy that maybe the fumes would bake off in the same way that alcohol is supposed to, but god, did that ever not happen. I created an amazing-looking tray of creamy, bakey, golden mac and shews and spatula. Now, I know this site isn’t Vegan Cooking for the Woefully Uninitiated, but adding a bit about the ideal implements with which to prepare a roux (Wooden paddles? Sassy.) couldn’t hurt, right? I’m not letting the spatula win, I’m remaking this dish tonight armed with a paddle and a grudge, but I thought I’d chime in on behalf of any other potential spatula melters of the universe. Godspeed, you graceless culinary clods.

NEW BREAKTHROUGH: we made Mac & Shews last night and saved 2 cups of the Cashew Sauce.

We cooked down a pound of fresh spinach tonight, mixed it with the leftover sauce, and stuffed this as a filling in cannelloni, baked with a spicy tomato sauce. It was amazing! A wonderful all purpose creamy cashew sauce!

Finally made this. My food processor is garbage so I couldn’t get the sauce very smooth but the flavors are delightful. It was rich and creamy (mine was a bit stringy from the sauerkraut). Don’t fest the sauerkraut. The stinky bitter flavor is easily masked by the other flavors so don’t fear.

I made this tonight for my family and they really liked it. They couldn’t guess the secret ingredient. We are not vegan but I love making tasty food that is good for you. Thanks Isa for being such an awesome chef and using real ingredients to make real food!

I was very suspicious of the sauerkraut, and would NEVER have even taken the time to try this recipe if it wasn’t coming from such a trusted source 🙂 I’ve made it twice now and it is absolutely delish!! Rich and creamy, but not too heavy – and the flavour is just perfect. I usually reserve fake mac and cheeses for vegan friends, but this one is a hit with any omni crowd. I’ve passed this recipe along to two grateful omnis, in fact!

Isa – I’ve never posted on your site, but I am one of the silent masses who loves and appreciates all your amazing recipes, and buys all your books hot off the presses. keep up the great work!!

I just made this as the vegan/dairy-free option for a local fundraising mac & cheese dinner. It was a big hit! Word even started to spread that the vegan option was better than main mac being served. I left out the sauerkraut since I didn’t have any on hand and just added a little miso paste and extra lemon juice for the tangy, aged taste. Thanks!

Could you suggest what amount of a gluten-free flour mix one might use in this recipe?
Specifically, I use Better Batter as my flour.
These gluten-free flours have a high starch content and thicken like crazy.
If you don’t have a suggested amount, that’s fine… obviously.
I’ll just experiment and post my results later.
I just thought I’d ask first. This looks delectable though! I can’t wait to make it.

[…] grape tomatoes and some smoked tofu, though to make it some-more cheesy we took a evidence from a Post-Punk Kitchen “Mac and Shews” recipe, and combined 1 1/2 cups of cashews (soaked overnight and […]

This s better than many other vegan mac and cheese recipes, and since nooch can be pricey, it’s a good thing that the sauce isn’t 80% nooch. And we all love the nooch, folks, but it can be frustrating when a lot of vegan mac and cheese recipes basically taste the same. I don’t really want recipes to be able to make non-vegan friends think they’re eating non-vegan food, but I do want recipes that reflect how far vegan food has come, and this kind of innovation does exactly that.

For the people who are iffy about the sauerkraut: if you taste the blended sauerkraut mixture before cooking, you can taste a bit of the sauerkraut flavour (though it’s mostly the tanginess of it, rather than the specific flavour of the sauerkraut), but once the dish is cooked, unless someone told you it was sauerkraut, you wouldn’t expect it at all.

The final sauce would probably also go even better in a potato bake, and with some mustard in it.

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Sauerkraut and cashews? Sounds werid, are you sure final flavour is “cheesy”?
I can live without meat (well, I hate the taste, so I find being old enough to decide about it a nice thing! and openly declaring as vegetarian is easier than eating this gross thing sometimes), and I don’t like eggs (it’s gross when raw, so why cook and eat something gross? and I didn’t bake a lot, so I can learn vegan recipies. And my habit of grabbing a yogurt or milk dessert for every brekfast or snack, whas more from habit and convinience, than taste (so bananas work as well… and I don’t need a spoon for them!) But cheese is hard as hell. No camembert for the rest of my life? No cheese on my pizza? No toast? No mozzarella, no caprese salad? Even no cheese-flavoured popcorn? OMG, I’m gonna cry!
But I’m not sure, if I’m desperate enough, to try cashews and sauerkraut in one dish. You swear it tastes cheesy, not sour and you don’t find the smell od cabbage in it?

This is the BEST vegan mac and cheese I’ve had so far. Like someone else above mentions, I used vegan kimchi (just the simple store bought jar from Whole Foods) instead of sauerkraut. I always liked a little bite to my mac and cheese anyway (think pepper jack flavor) and it turned out AMAZING. So don’t be afraid to make that substitute if you like the spice.

I currently can’t find raw cashews anywhere(thanksgiving season, ugh), but I really liked this recipe when I made it back in September for my family and friends (who all liked it and ask for it). I was wondering if I would be able to sort of combine this recipe and the sunflower mac one? Or would the consistency of the sunflower seed’s sauce be too different for the sauerkraut to work as well as it does with the cashews?

I’m a little late to this party, but I was jonesing for some comfort food, as well as needing to use up some leftover collard/kale/what have you greens, so I thought this recipe and the greens would make a great meal. So far, it smells heavenly. I am sure it will taste fantastic, and I do plan to make this recipe again.

People, ADD THE GERMAN KIMCHEE. The tangyness added so much flavor. It doesn’t taste like saurkraut at all, it’s a wonderful secret ingredient.

Unfortunately, my family is not a fan of cashew cheese (must be a vegan/health food thing). I loved it. Definitely gonna make a batch of cheese to freeze for myself, then pull out when I want an easy dish.

It’s the bomb, easy to make and delicious. I used whole wheat penne and I was very happy. The timing is important so try to have everything out and ready before you start. I used roasted cashews from Safeway but next time I want to try raw. This is a must try!!!

[…] we use to make prior to being vegan. Our stroganoff recipe makes use of a secret ingredient (ala Isa Chandra Moskowitz): sauerkraut. Seriously: don’t doubt it; just make it cause the final product is […]

[…] anything else, and as soon as I could get in front of the stove the next day I pulled out Isa’s Mac & Shews recipe from the Post Punk Kitchen blog. I’ve had that one on my radar for the longest time. I […]

Isa! Do you have a gluten free flour recommendation to try with this? Also, do you think it would still be as good if I used half the oil, working with a client right now who is trying to cut back on oil as much as possible. Thanks!

Lauren: go for it without oil, I just did tonight and it still tasted marvelous! I did oil the baking dish though. I just toasted the flour in an unoiled pan, then mixed it up with the 2 remaining cups of veg broth and brought them to a boil together, and otherwise followed the recipe minus the roux.

I think you could just use a gluten free flour blend, no problem. Also I’ve tried gluten free noodles, and the quinoa/corn blend they sell at whole foods was AWESOME, I think better than wheat noodles, although big wheat shells are pretty darn good!

[…] for her TV show and website Post Punk Kitchen. Not only does she “veganiz” recipes like mac and cheese but she is a wiz with creating flavors. A favorite of my non-vegan household is her classic caesar […]

Yum – had to taste it to believe! I’m not much into macaroni and cheese, but I will definitely be using this sauce with steamed broccoli and with nachos (the only dish that I really miss from my pre-vegan days)

I just made this and would just like to say thank you for posting the recipe! I am an awful cook and this is the first vegan meal I have made completely from scratch and it was so easy. Mac n cheese has always been my favourite and its insane how much this tastes like cheese! Thank you!!!

[…] free mac & cheese with pecan crusted tofu, BBQ cauliflower & braised kale. Isa has posted a recipe for Mac & Shews on the PPK…the secret to this dish is that the cheese sauce is made of a blend of cashews & […]

SO.. FREAKING… YES. INSANELY GOOD!!! My white trash tip is that we just used our blender from the 80’s instead of a food processor and I used a giant wad of paper towels to drain the sauerkraut. So anyone can make this.

Isa you have done it again!!! I have tired dozens of vegan mac n cheese recipes over the years but this one is by far THE BEST…the others don’t even touch it! The sauerkraut gives it the depth of a sharp cheddar. I also love the consistency of the sauce. I added some panko breadcrumbs to the top for a little crunch. I accidentally just ate two huge bowls of it. I have been vegan for 6 years now and tried countless cookbooks and recipes, and yours are in a league all of their own. It’s like somehow you understand and satisfy the precise cravings of my tastebuds. I could live off this recipe, breakfast nachos, bestest pesto, and your vegan pad thai and never tire of them. Thank you!!!

This is my all time favorite vegan Mac and cheese recipe. Isa is right on with everything about this. If you follow her detailed instructions as closely as you can it will come out amazing! I get better and better with it each time. It’s a great way to get in a lot of nutrition. I add extra tumeric , vegan bacon bits or broccoli sometimes. I recommend mastering her original recipe first before you go playing. I would highly recommend all her books!

Oh my dog… I just made this for the first time and it is amazing! It’s reminiscent of my Mother’s Mac n’ cheese and my husband and I couldn’t stop eating it! People – don’t get scared off by the sauerkraut! It adds a very subtle tangy flavor that is just delicious.

Thank you, Isa! I’ve been a big fan of yours for awhile now and am pleased with your recipes every time 🙂 Thanks for making veganism delicious and exciting!!